What Happened After
by MillenniumXOLoveXOStories
Summary: Two years after the ceremonial duel. Atem decided to stay, and brought Akefia back as well. What happens to the group now? Full summary inside. M for a reason. Pairings are NOT the same. This is post-canon, slightly AU. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Two years ago, we decided to stay. We didn't want to leave our friends, our hosts, even if it meant that the Shadow Realm wasn't completely gone. I pulled Akefia back, since Ryou asked me to. We were needed here. Yugi and Ryou needed us still, even if they didn't want to admit it. But not in the same way. We found love in ways we had not expected. This is how it all happened and what the consequences of our choice that day were.

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**Millennium: This one is going to have totally different pairings than my other stories. Don't worry, guys. I'm still going to work on WBF and the other parts. Just wanting to get this one out before I lose it. This story is going to be a LOT darker than the others. Also, I'm going to use the Egyptian names for Yami and Bakura in this one, so Akefia and Atem it is. I haven't even decided couples as of yet.**

**Love: Really, we have no idea how this story is going to turn out. The pairings will NOT be Blind/Gem/Puppy for sure. We just don't know how it WILL be just yet. We're working on it. There will be violence, lemon/lime, self-harm, and possibly even mpreg. It is rated M for a reason. Also, the title might change later after the plot line is better established.**

* * *

_Two years prior - Atem_

"It's alright, Aibou. I'm not leaving. I don't believe the Shadow Realm is a danger in reality anymore. Not with Zorc gone. Get up, chiisana ichi. We aren't separating anytime soon." Suddenly, Ryou asked, "You think you could get the Thief King back?" I nodded. I was sure I could do it. He was simply in the Shadow Realm. Not hard at all. Or so I thought. I left for the Shadows, and soon realized I had no idea where he was. Oh well, I'll find him. "Pharaoh. What brings you here?" _Speak of the devil, and he shall appear._ "I was looking for you, actually. Ryou asked me to bring you back." Akefia looked slightly shocked. "He wants me back? I suppose I expected him to hate me. Although, he might not be capable of true hatred." I simply took his arm and whisked us back to the tomb. _That was easier than it could have been._ And then, the dizziness hit. Before I hit the ground, though, a pair of rough tanned arms caught me. They sat me gently on the ground, letting me sit out the wave of nausea and dizziness that had come on from the use of my Shadow Powers. _This has never happened before. I wonder why that took so much out of me._ Ishizu spoke, "Pharaoh, are you alright?" I nodded. I would be fine in a moment or two. I just needed to breathe. It was so strange. This intense feeling of just everything. It was as if everything around me: sights, sounds, textures, smells, were all increased a hundred-fold. "Ugh, are you feeling like every sense just got a hundred times stronger?" I asked of the other former spirit. "Most definitely, Atem. I was wondering how long it would take you to notice. That could be why you suddenly became dizzy from the trip to the Shadows as well." Akefia sounded shaken by it all. Not that the others would notice the ever-so-slight waver to his voice. Well, none but perhaps Kaiba. Akefia sounded so close still. Was he the one who caught me? _Ugh, the thief kept me from falling? That is pathetic._ Better not let him see how disgusted I was. He'd probably think I was disgusted at him. Not true. I was disgusted with myself for being so weak that I needed someone to catch me. Standing back up, I looked at the others. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go home. I'm tired of this dark cave." And so we left.

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_Present day - Akefia_

That was an interesting day, to say the least. None of us expected this to be the way things turned out. I still can't believe he loves me. Coming home to that face every day is the best thing that ever could have happened to me. He keeps me in line, and I keep him from being too boring. Granted, they all are boring to me most of the time. I just like to liven things up. They know I'm not really going to walk off with their things. I just like seeing them sweat for a few, then putting it back and seeing them find it again. Right where they swore they had left it in the first place. Yugi is the most fun to mess with. Although, maybe I shouldn't have hidden that damned Dark Magician card that he got from his grandfather. The old man died last year, and Yugi's a little sentimental. Oh well, he'll get over it eventually. I'll just have to remember not to take that card again… Or any of his deck, I guess. Hard to know if the old man gave him all those cards. Probably. He hasn't ever changed his deck that I know of. Atem was pretty mad at me for that one too, although he got over it pretty fast. He can never stay mad at me for long. None of them can.

* * *

_Two years ago – Yugi_

They're here. In their own bodies. I can hardly believe it. Atem has become like a brother to me. I love him, but not in a romantic way. That love is reserved for someone else, although I'm not sure if he even knows I exist anymore. I'm just Yugi Mutou, King of Games, to him. I'm not any kind of love interest. Oh well, I never expected him to like me, let alone love me. I'm not exactly easy to love. The scars are there to prove it. I'm bisexual, but I like guys better. Not that it matters. Tea can't see past the scars, neither could Rebecca. Why do I think he could? Oh, right, because he seems like the type to have a secret like that. I don't really know for sure, but I have noticed things about him. I notice things about everyone. I guess it's from being on the outside so much. Tea is madly in love with someone else now too, just like Rebecca. I guess we all moved on in some way. And I think I know who for each. I'm sure about who Ryou is into, and Tristan. Even Joey is pretty easy to figure out. The only people I can't place is Kaiba, Atem, Akefia, and Duke. Everyone else is easy. Now to just figure those four out, and I'm set! Who am I kidding? I'll never figure out Kaiba or Akefia. Atem, sure. Give me a little time. Duke, I have an idea on.

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_Present day – Tea_

I still can't believe I'm with her. She actually wanted me too! Well, and then who Yugi ended up with. He needed someone who could look past the scars… Unfortunately, Rebecca and I never could. We just couldn't get past what he was doing to himself. I had known for years. He even told me sometimes when he felt like doing it again. I wonder if he's quit now. He seems so happy that it's possible. I just don't have the nerve to ask him. And his boyfriend would kill me for bringing it up again. Oh well, if he wants me to know, he'll tell me. He still talks to me like we used to. We're still best friends. We have been for so long. I can't imagine life without Yugi around. It would just be too dark and sad. He makes everyone laugh so easily, him and Joey. They are the jokers of the group. It's amazing what the last couple of years have done for Yugi's confidence. He's so much more friendly and outgoing than he was in high school. I guess we have Joey, Tristan, Kaiba, Ryou, and Atem to thank for that. We were such a great group and we still are. I can't believe how much we've all grown and changed, yet stayed great friends. And now, we're all starting families of our own with our lovers! And all of us are in love with another from the group! It couldn't be any better, could it? But I'm worried that something dark is coming. I've just felt it on the horizon for a while now. Like the shadows never left Atem or Akefia. Like they have this awful dark side just waiting to rear its ugly head.

* * *

_One year ago – Serenity_

Well, he came back. I'm glad he kept his promise to me. Joey is too. We wondered for a while, but then he called and said he was flying back in a week. That was a month ago. I'm so happy with him! He's sweet and caring, and he never yells at me like Mom and Dad did. Joey approves too, which is a bonus. And Tristan's girlfriend got back about the same time. She had some business to attend to, that made her have to leave, but she swore she would return to him. He's happier than I've ever seen him. Joey said the same. Joey's pretty happy too. He and his boyfriend fight a lot, but they always make up and seem okay. At least he doesn't hit my big brother. I don't think I could stand that. Neither could Tristan. He'd have to beat up Joey's boyfriend for sure. Oh, this is just amazing! Everyone is with the people who make them happiest, so what could go wrong?

_Little did she know that all of their lives would be turned upside down just one year later. And it would all begin so benignly. With something as innocent as a baby's birth. One baby would upset the balance that they had so painstakingly created. And then, all hell would break loose._

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**Millennium: So, yeah. I think I have the pairings worked out, but they might still change a little. Doubtful though. This is going to be a really interesting story though. And now to work on the next chapter of this one and WBF. And sorry about the jumpiness of this chapter. That probably won't happen so much after next chapter. I was getting some back story in and setting up a few of the characters and plot points. You'll see!**

**Love: Yeah, this is going to be a fun one. This is where I get to shine!**

**Millennium: Yeah, right. I'm the one who writes most of it. You just write the dirty scenes.**

**Love: But I write the parts that make everyone come back for more!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Millennium: Okay, so this chapter is the final one of the crazy time jumps. Everything happens present day after this. And the game changer is coming in the next chapter too! I hope you can stick this one out.**

**Love: Yeah, considering this one is less jumpy than the last one was. Also, some of the weird back-story stuff will make sense soon. This story shows just how crazy Millennium's mind really is. This is seriously how she thinks on a regular basis, especially when tired.**

**Millennium: As usual, if I owned Yugioh, do you think I'd be writing this stuff? Thanks to Takahashi-sama for his amazing creation!**

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_One month ago – Atem_

Well, it's official. We're going to be parents! I don't think I could be happier right now. We've wanted this for so long, and our dream is finally coming true! I keep asking him if it's really happening. I think he's getting sick of it. But at the same time, I know he's just as excited. I can see it in his eyes. There's a light there, brighter than I've ever seen it. It's so amazing. Now I just have to figure out how to tell the others. I know Tea will be thrilled for us. She knows how much we wanted a baby. Rebecca will probably be the same. Yugi will love it. He wants kids too. I guess he's winning somewhat in that argument with his lover. Eventually, my friend. You will get your wish too. The others should all react the same way. I mean, we all want to be parents eventually. I can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl! I don't even care which one it is. Although, I think I would rather have a boy first, then a girl, since he could look out for his younger sister then. Either way is fine with me though. Kids will learn not to mess with my little ones. Maybe they'll have shadow powers like me and him. Oh, Akefia… This is going to be amazing!

* * *

_Present day – Akefia_

Ugh, I feel awful. Damn Atem and choosing me to be the one… They say it'll go away in a couple months, but do I have to feel this awful all the damn time? I mean, I know it's worth it in the end, but still. I feel like crap. I guess he might have decided I should try since we lost the last one… That was more than awful. We were so excited, just like he is this time. I have to wonder if it'll happen to me too though. I don't think I could take that. He doesn't realize just how much that hurt me, I don't think. I'll be better when I make it to the halfway point, I think. I'm just not sure we should have tried again so soon… It's only been a couple of months. If I lose this one, will we survive? Will we be able to stay together? That's what I worry about. We barely kept it together when we lost our first baby, and now we're trying again?

Ugh, and he was almost four months. We were about to find out if it was a boy or girl. I need to stop worrying about it, but I can't help it. This is just the most stressful situation ever for me. Damned hormones are making me crazy, I swear, although there are a couple of people that would claim I'm already crazy to begin with. Maybe so, but I feel crazier than normal right now. I feel like I'll either start crying or screaming at any moment. I have yelled at Atem before for no reason, and I feel horrible about it. He was never like that with me.

* * *

_6 months ago – Yugi_

Well, I finally settled into a rhythm with him. Seeing each other in the evenings after we get off work, and then spending the weekends together. It works nicely for us. He says I don't have to work, but I want to. It's Grandpa's shop. I can't just close it. This place has a sentimental value to me that he just doesn't really understand. He doesn't get attached to anyone. I still can't believe he likes me at all! He's the man of my dreams, and he actually wanted me too! I just wish I could do something for Atem. I feel so bad for them. Losing the baby is really taking a toll on the two of them. How is Akefia holding up? He hasn't been around much since then. I guess I can ask Atem next time he's over. I just worry about them both. Joey is coming by later, though. I wonder if he's finally going to tell me who his mystery guy is. I hate not knowing, but he won't tell me until he's ready for everyone to know… I can't keep a secret like that! Oh, there he is!

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_6 months ago – Joey_

I guess I should tell him. Yugi will do the hard part of telling everyone else. I just wish Keith and I didn't fight so damn much. I really like him, but he's even more stubborn than me! I mean, I know he cares, but he's so… so… weird about it! Like he doesn't want me to go anywhere on my own. I'm not a child, and I'm sure as hell not incapable of taking care of myself. I used to be in a damned gang! I think I can protect myself. Hell, if it weren't for Yugi and Tristan, I'd probably still be in with the Rintama boys. Keith, on the other hand, makes me want to go back. They at least respected my abilities. He forgets that I've beat his ass before. Just because I'm the bottom don't mean I'm the weaker one! Oh well, here goes nothing. I better get this over with before I chicken out again! I know they won't really care, but still. I worry about how Tristan's going to look at me… He knows I'm gay, but he does not like Keith. I never would have even guessed Keith was bi until he kissed me that day. Best kiss I'd ever had, for sure. It was definitely hot. He said he asked Kaiba about me, knowing Kaiba wouldn't spill to anyone what Keith had planned, not even Yugi. I still can't believe those two are together. But it works well for them. Kaiba really takes care of Yugi. He bought Yugi a pretty nice car last month, a damned Mercedes-Benz, although not a flashy one. Yugi just isn't the flashy type like Kaiba. He's always been a sideline kind of guy. Whoa! There's Yugi! Alright, let's do this.

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_Present day – Ryou_

I can't wait to see my little sweetie! Six months today! Oh, it's so wonderful. Moki is so wonderful to me. He always treats me like a prince or something. I don't get why everyone thinks he's a brat. I think he's just lonely, like me. Ever since we started dating, he's seemed better. I think he just wanted someone to pay attention to him, more than his brother could. I hope Kaiba's spending more time with Yugi than he did Moki. I think that's a concern of both of us. Moki and I both hope that Kaiba is at least attempting to spend time with his boyfriend of almost a year. It seems to be working. Kaiba is definitely spoiling little Yugi rotten. He bought him a Mercedes a few month into their relationship, which Yugi seems to love. He definitely likes opening it up on the freeways. He's gotten a couple of speeding tickets to prove it in the last several months.

He has something planned for tonight. I just haven't figured out what yet. I know I'll love it though. He always seems to find something that we both love. And he has great taste in restaurants. He likes fast food, but at the same time, he loves upscale diners like where Kaiba takes Yugi all the time. I can't complain about that. The diners are really good. Well, here I am! Let's see what Moki has planned.

* * *

_Present day – Mokuba_

Whoa. It's really been six months?! I mean, I believe it, but I don't. It's just so amazing! I love Ryou so much. He always seems to just know what I need right when I need it. I guess I acted out a lot before Ryou and I got together. Yugi has mentioned I've grown up a lot since we started dating. Was I really that bad? Ryou has said before that he thought I just needed someone to pay attention to me. Maybe he's right. I guess sometimes I just wanted someone to notice me. I wonder if he understands so much just because his childhood was similar to mine… I mean, I know he lost his mom and a sister to a car wreck when he was a kid, and then his dad just kind of disappeared… He made sure Ryou was taken care of financially, but it sounds like Ryou had nobody after that accident. He never talks about it, he only ever mentioned that it was a drunk driver or something once. I guess he still really misses them, like I do our dad… I don't remember our mom, since I guess she died when I was born. Seto's never really told me much. I just know it was only our dad, until that day… I just know that one day, Dad was gone and Seto and I were dumped at the orphanage shortly after by our remaining "family", seeing as they wanted nothing more than our money. Oh well. Seto took care of me, and made sure we'll never want for anything again. I just wish he'd take a damned vacation once in a while! Maybe I can talk him into it, with Yugi's help. Yugi seems to have a lot of sway over my brother.

I'm so excited about tonight though! I'm taking Ryou to this new diner in town. Reservations filled up for weeks as soon as it opened, but of course, being a Kaiba, I can pull off some pretty amazing feats. I know Ryou's going to wonder how I did it though. It definitely wasn't easy to do, but it was worth it. I even managed to get a really good spot reserved near the windows overlooking the ocean. Yeah, this place is near Domino Bay. How cool is that! Oh! Ryou's here! Time to enjoy our little anniversary.

* * *

_Six months ago – Seto_

I'm not sure what I think of this. Mokuba is dating Ryou Bakura now? I mean, Ryou is a nice enough guy, but still. Mokuba is my little brother. I'll be watching them closely for a while now. On the other hand, Yugi and I are actually getting into a rhythm that works quite well. I'm definitely enjoying this situation. Yugi is probably the only one of that group that I could stand long enough to even think of dating. And he is attractive, if I must admit it. His eyes are definitely intriguing. They are an unusual color, an amethyst that can draw you in and trap you. I suppose Mokuba is worrying that I'm not paying enough attention to Yugi for us to work out, but I don't think it will be an issue. Yugi seems to enjoy the evening/weekend deal we have. I'm just glad that he likes the car I bought him. I thought the Mercedes would fit him. It's definitely the least flashy of the cars I was looking at. I know he doesn't enjoy the attention like I do. He doesn't see himself as all that amazing, although I think he is a pretty good person. I have never met anyone like him. He is a genuinely good person, doing things for others with no regard for what he will receive. I just wish I could get him to completely stop cutting. He is better though. He always talks to me when he wants to, and most of the time, that's all he needs.

I think Tea and Rebecca are glad that Yugi has found someone who can handle Yugi's darker side. I think Atem would be the only other person that could, but they are more like brothers. I could not see them dating, not that I like to think of Yugi with anyone else. Perhaps I'm a little too jealous, but Yugi seems to enjoy it. Duke pissed me off that day last week that he decided to flirt with him, and Yugi barely stopped me from punching the annoyingly flamboyant man. Ra, he is annoying! I wish he'd just find someone single that he likes and leave my Yugi alone! Yugi's rebuffed his advances for something like three months now, and now Duke is flirting with him in front of me like I don't exist! Yugi knows my scars as well as I know his, so neither of us even really notice them anymore. I only notice new ones, which don't show up anywhere near as often as they did when we first started dating.

I think the cutting actually got worse last year when Yugi's grandfather died. Old man Mutou was the only family Yugi had left. His parents were killed in a car accident when he was a child, and the old man raised him after that. Yugi was in the car with his parents, but doesn't really remember any of it. I'm sure he repressed it, but maybe that is a good thing. He says the cutting is from the stress of being bullied so much from being small and anti-violence. I'm sure he has been bullied for being an orphan too… It happened to Mokuba and myself on many occasions before we were adopted by our step-father. It only stopped then, I think, because of who adopted us. People were terrified of Gozaburo Kaiba. And for good reason, too. He was a crazy, sadistic man. I know what he was capable of, so I knew not to cross him. Ever. Crossing Gozaburo Kaiba was tantamount to a death wish. You would have wished you were dead by the time he was finished ruining your life. Not that many people don't wish the same for crossing me, although I am far less cruel than he was.

The amount of media attention Yugi and I dealt with when we announced our relationship was ridiculous though. So what if we are in a gay relationship? I know most of it was because we are two of the most well-known duelists around, and known rivals in the ring, as well as because of who I am. If we weren't so famous to begin with, it wouldn't have mattered at all, but we are, so it did. I just hope Joey works up the nerve to spill about him and Keith. I hate keeping that from Yugi. I only haven't said anything because I wanted to give him the chance to tell them. That one is going to be a media circus too, when they go public… Maybe even more so than Yugi and myself. Keith is not well-liked by all of Domino City, and Joey is a crowd favorite. He's the much-loved underdog. And often enough, he pulls through, which never ceases to amaze me. I don't suppose he's a complete amateur anymore, but he's not experienced enough that he should win as much as he does.

* * *

_Present day – Joey_

Well, I'm glad everyone took my dating Keith well… Tristan wasn't thrilled, but he's learned to deal. He knows Keith treats me pretty well, even if we do argue. A lot. But at the same time, I love him in some way. It's rough at times, but it's worth it in the end. I finally got him to stop being so overprotective! I guess he just worried about me being in that slummy part of town. Now that I've moved in with him in a better part of Domino, he doesn't seem so concerned. Not that he doesn't still bug me about going out alone, but it's a lot less than before. I guess he doesn't worry so much that I'll get jumped and have to fight anymore. I guess he was worried that I'd get in over my head or something. I'm not looking forward to the press madness though. I know it's going to be rough when we come out as a couple. Could even be worse than what Yugi and Kaiba went through, and that was pretty bad for Yugi. He hates being such a public guy. He always was the quiet one. Atem doesn't mind at all that the cameras love him. I think he was born for it. Akefia gets annoyed, but deals. Tristan, Ishizu, Tea, Rebecca, Ryou and Mokuba don't deal with the paparazzi like the rest of us. Mai and Duke are just as used to it as I am. Mokuba doesn't mind it, he's a Kaiba after all, but he doesn't have them hounding him like his brother.

Keith and I are doing this big duel tournament thing with Yugi and Kaiba tomorrow, and when it's all over, well, we're spilling… I'm not so sure about this, but Keith seems certain that everything will work out. Ugh, I hate being nervous. It makes me want to go fight… I know! Keith's gym! I can burn some energy there, since he showed me how to use some of it. It's really come in handy lately with this tourney coming up. I've been seriously freaking out about how my fans (read that as the girls) are going to react. I'm a total flirt with the ladies, which Keith doesn't mind, knowing I have no interest in them. I've only ever looked at guys, and very few of them even. I mean, come on. I had a reputation to uphold in the ghetto. I was probably the most feared guy on the streets. I can take like 5 guys at once, alone, and come out pretty much unhurt. Even Tristan can't take me in a fight. I'm not too concerned about the Rintama gang bothering me. Between Kaiba and Yugi, I've got more bodyguards around than I could ever need anyway. They both worry to damn much, Kaiba about Yugi, and Yugi about the rest of us. But it might come in handy tomorrow.

* * *

_Present day – Keith_

Okay, I know Joey is worried about tomorrow, but I don't think it's going to be an issue. His fan girls aren't as bad as Yugi's were, and Yugi didn't get mobbed by them. Kaiba, on the other hand, actually ran from a mob at one point. HA! That was amusing, after we all knew he was okay. Yugi was pretty mad at me for laughing about it, though… And so was Joey. I almost felt bad for finding it funny, but then Joey laughed at Kaiba's freaked out look, and it was over. We all started laughing so hard, we were crying. Even Kaiba. I think he was completely taken off-guard by the intensity of his fans' reactions. No one expected Kaiba to get mobbed by a bunch of crazy fan girls. Yugi, maybe, but we thought Kaiba's fans were too afraid of him. I'm not worried about my fans, for sure… I don't have a lot of them anymore, and I never had a lot of female fans… The only ones I had were biker chicks and the like. They aren't the mobbing type. They just use their oozing sex appeal to try to win you over… Which used to work on me, until I met Joey. He's the only person, male or female, that's ever had the guts to stand up to me like he does. I can see why Kaiba respects him. Joey doesn't care that Kaiba's crazy rich, or a pompous ass to most people. Joey tells it how he sees it, and treats everyone the same, regardless of money or power.

That's my favorite thing about that crazy blonde. I'm not sure why, but he sees everyone differently. He doesn't look at race, gender, money, power, or any of that. He looks at who you are and who you could be. He saw something in me that I wasn't even sure was there anymore. He actually made me want to be a little less cruel to people… I guess I'll always be a manipulative bastard, but not so much anymore, and I haven't even tried to manipulate Joey. I can't bring myself to do that to him, and I think he knows it. He treats me like I've never done anything wrong, except maybe be a little too protective of him. I like knowing he has bodyguards around (thanks Yugi), and since he moved in with me, I know he's living in a relatively safe part of Domino City. We aren't rich by any means, but neither of us go without anything we need. Kaiba pays Joey pretty well to do some advertising, since he's such a crowd favorite. Yugi does some of it too, but not as much as Joey.

I wonder if Yugi's ever going to close the shop. He seems pretty intent on keeping it running as long as possible. Probably because of who it reminds him of. I guess his grandfather was a pretty awesome guy. Joey always talks him up, as well as everyone else in their little group. I didn't know the guy personally, so I can't really say for sure. But he must have been an alright guy to make such an impression on the entire group. Even Kaiba can't say anything bad about the guy, although I doubt he would. Well, sounds like Joey's all worked up again. He's in the gym again. I can hear it out here in the hall. Great. That means we'll probably have another fight over tomorrow… I know he'll go through with it in the end, but he's so damned nervous, it's getting to me.

* * *

_Present day – Rebecca_

So, Tea and I have been together for a year now! This is so amazing. I think there are only two people left in the group that aren't with someone now. I mean, Kaiba and Yugi, Tea and me, Joey and Keith (that was a surprise), Serenity and Malik of all people! Even Tristan has a girlfriend. I still can't believe he's with Ishizu. That one was almost as bizarre as Joey and Keith dating, but it all works out. Yugi told me the other day that he has almost quit cutting entirely. Apparently, Kaiba does a pretty good job of listening when Yugi's down. I'm glad. Tea and I were really worried for a while, especially after Mr. Mutou died last year. Gramps still hasn't really gotten over losing his best friend, and Yugi still misses his grandpa something fierce. We all miss that guy. He was the coolest grandpa ever! He always had some new card or game or something to show us when we were over, and he was never overbearing like some (grand) parents can be. We all loved him for that, and the fact that he was kind of a grandpa to all of us.

Tea and I have been talking about having a kid too. Atem and Akefia have been trying, and we're all hoping this works for them. After losing the first one, I don't know if they'd survive losing another. They almost fell apart with the first one. I'm not surprised Atem is being a little (read: a lot) overprotective of Akefia, like making him take it easy a lot of the time. Yugi and Kaiba are talking about adopting, as are Joey and Keith (not sure how I feel about that one). Somehow, the fact that Atem and Akefia are part of the Shadow Realm lets them get pregnant… That threw us all for a loop at first. Apparently, it only applies to the two Ancient Egyptians. I don't think Malik, Yugi, or Ryou were complaining though. They heard Atem's complaints when he first got pregnant, and now they're hearing Akefia's. Tea and I are trying to decide which one of us is going to have the first one. We've already decided that we'll each have one. It just seems fair. It may end up being Tea, though. She is a few years older than me.

Now to just get Joey to calm down about the big tournament tomorrow. We get why he's nervous, but still. He's really over-thinking this whole deal, and that's saying something for that hot-headed blonde. He never thinks about anything. He just reacts 99.9% of the time. I think this is the only time I've ever had to say he was thinking too much about something, ever. I get why he's nervous. Yugi and Kaiba had a bit of a rough go when they came out as a couple, and Atem still gets hit on by girls and guys both when he's out. Even if Akefia's with him! That's the one thing that really gets Akefia about Atem's fame; the fact that no one seems to respect that he's taken. I had the same problem for a little while with both guys and girls hitting on me even with Tea around. That and they love Tea. She is hot, after all. I mean, who can resist those eyes? That blue is something else. Even Kaiba gets a weird look when he gets into one of their little staring contests, and he's pretty much as gay as they come. Although, I don't think he'd ever leave Yugi. I get the feeling Yugi understands him in a way no one else ever could.

Well, I suppose I should look over my deck and make sure it's ready for tomorrow. I know the competition's going to be good. Keith, Kaiba, Joey, and Yugi are in it for sure, and I think Leon might be too. Not sure who else is going to be there though. Oh well, Yugi, Kaiba and Leon are really the only duelists who can stand up to me. The rest should be a piece of cake, especially since I've totally changed my deck again. I know Yugi's still using his odd deck of cutesy little creatures, but they will definitely catch you off guard if you let them. I've seen what that deck can do. It took down Atem's God Cards a couple years ago, so I know better than to underestimate him. I hope they're ready for the new and improved Rebecca Hawkins, though! Atem still uses that crazy powerful deck of his, and Kaiba hasn't really changed his, ever. It's a total beat down, just like he does everything. Joey still has his crazy 'lucky deck', which rarely lets him down, for some odd reason. And Keith is still a machine freak. I know my main competition like my own deck, since I've dueled them all several times in the past.

* * *

**Millennium: So yeah… Next chapter's going to be about the tournament, and how Joey and Keith's 'coming out' goes. Then on to more fun *ahem* dark things. Jumpiness will now die down, but I will change viewpoints occasionally still. I might even attempt a duel scene next chapter!**

**Love: Yeah, that should be interesting, considering how little you know about the decks of your characters anymore. I hope you intend to do some research on them first. And make it a believable duel, not just some thrown together piece of junk.**

**Millennium: You doubt my mad writing skills? We'll see about that! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Millennium: Okay, so this is where I stop jumping between characters so much. This chapter's going to center on the new Battle City Tournament.**

**Love: Yeah. Probably mostly going to be from their POVs, and maybe some Yugi or Kaiba. Ugh, rival shipping is weird to us. Forgive us if these pairings are bizarre. We are really more of the hikari/yami type, but this has been fighting to get out of Millennium's head for a while now.**

**Joey: Hey, c'mon. On with the story. Y'all know Millennium doesn't get anything out of this except for a little joy from the lovely reviews. If she ever got any on this story!**

**Seto: Yeah, and she should probably thank Goshikku hime wa Yami-san for their review.**

**Millennium: Yes, I should. And again, I'm sorry the first couple of chapters were crazy to read. This will be better. PROMISE! Like, I fully intend to stop jumping around so much, and have dialogue, although it will still be from various points of view and totally within that person's mind. I just really enjoy writing this from the different perspectives of people like Joey, Kaiba, Yugi, and Keith… Even Tea, Rebecca, or Malik. So many different ways to see things. And Gomen! This chapter was crazy to write - it's crazy long!**

**BTW – The duel scene was written with the help of a couple of decks on and their solitaire function. So the duel was somewhat random… And interesting to write.**

* * *

_BCT – Joey_

We were walking into the heart of downtown, knowing Kaiba would be announcing the official start of the Tournament at noon. He's probably the most on-time guy you'll ever meet. The guy doesn't do anything early or late. Yugi still can't get used to it… Yugi and I have never been that great at being on time. He's not as bad as me, I can't ever be on time, but he's late or barely on time 99.9% of the time. Oh, there's Kaiba and Yugi. I guess it's time to duel! (Had to)

"Welcome duelists. You have all been chosen from your various home regions as the best there. I hope to see the dueling capacities expected of such ranked duelists. Rules are simple. There is an ante rule in effect this entire tournament. You must put one of your rare cards up for ante in each duel. The winning duelist takes the loser's. Also, there are eleven locator cards to collect this time, instead of only six. You have two days to duel and collect the cards needed to enter the Second Battle City Tournament Finals. I wish you all fair and exciting duels!" With that, Kaiba stepped back, letting Yugi take the spotlight for a moment.

"Duelists, your prize, if you make it through the finals? A chance to duel me, the King of Games! Think you have what it takes?" Yugi was actually smirking, knowing he had the amateur duelists right where he wanted them. Gotta hand it to him, Kaiba has done that guy's confidence a world of good. I've never seen Yugi look that confident that no one could touch him. He knows he's the best duelist out there. Only Kaiba and Atem really stand a chance against him, and even they can't win. But neither of them are even participating in this one. Kaiba doesn't really duel anymore, and Atem's too worried about Akefia to play a card game for the sake of a little publicity. Akefia's been pretty sick the entire time, so Atem hasn't really been out much except to go shopping and other necessary trips. Neither one needs to work a full-time job, thanks to Atem's endorsement deals for being one of the top three duelists in the world.

Cool! Now it's on. Even Keith is an opponent right now, and he knows it. We've already split up, knowing we don't really want to duel each other this early. Finals would be more fun, to show how much we've both changed our tactics over the last couple of years. I easily take out a couple of weaker duelists, almost feeling bad when I take their best cards... Note, I said, almost. They were the ones dumb enough to say yes to this invite, knowing the competition would include duelists like myself and Keith. We aren't easily beaten. Those couple of duels wore me out a bit, being as long as they were, so I sit down to relax when I notice a pretty intense duel going on right across the plaza. Walking around the giant pool thing with a clock rising out of the middle, I see it's my man dueling Espa Roba! Man, this oughta be good! Roba's got his Jinzo out, not a good thing for Keith. He's sweating a little, knowing he's gotta take out that creature if he intends to win. Jinzo isn't easy to beat. I mean, he's got 2400 attack points! It took me a lucky card and spin to beat it in our duel a few years ago. Alright, Keith's turn. Whatever he just drew must be good, he just got that look in his eyes, the one that says he's about to stomp you. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that look in a duel. He means business now. He's got 2900 LPs, Roba has 1900. Keith has a single creature out. Jinzo must have taken out something else last round, since it's Ancient Gear. I think I know what Keith has planned now!

"I special summon another Ancient Gear to the field, using its special effect, and then tribute both monsters to summon Ancient Gear Golem." That thing has 3000 ATK points! He's got this duel now. "Now I attack your Jinzo with my Ancient Gear Golem, and you take 600 damage."

"Ugh, and I can't even stop it…" Roba knows he's in trouble. He only has 1300 LPs now. Does Keith have that card? Roba has only one face down card on the field, and I doubt it can stop what Keith has planned. It was probably a Waboku, which does him no good outside of battle. "Now I activate Ancient Gear Explosive, targeting my Ancient Gear Golem. This deals half of my now destroyed monster's attack points as damage to your life points. 1500 points of damage is more than enough to win, Roba."

I walk away before Keith notices me. I don't really want to duel him yet, and that's what'll happen if he sees me. "Nice duel, Roba. You're a good duelist, I just got lucky. Your Jinzo is a really good card."

"Yeah, but now I'm down to only one locator card again, and you have four already! I just know you're going to make the finals. You and Joey both have a really good shot. I wonder who else will make it." Great. Keith's ahead of me. I guess I need to pick up the pace. I don't want him getting in too far ahead of me, even though he'll probably be the first to qualify. I just don't want to be the last one in. There's a good looking opponent! He looks younger, maybe 14 or 15, but if he's in the tourney, then he's good enough to duel me. Doesn't matter that I'm probably 5 or 6 years older than him.

_After the duel_

I was right, he was good. I won, but it took some luck, which we all know I have tons of. Now to look for another opponent. I don't want to get behind just because I had to 'rest'. Wait, is that Leon von Schroeder? Didn't really expect him to be here, but that's cool. He's a really good duelist, at least from what I remember at the KC Grand Prix back when. I think I'll hold off on dueling him, though. I remember him being something of a prodigy at dueling, just like Rebecca, and he beat her. I wonder if he's still using that 'fairy tale' deck he had at the KC Grand Prix. Oh, great, he sees me.

"Hey, Joey. How have you been? It's been a while since we've talked." Great. He's going with the friendly route… Trying to make me forget what his brother did? Siegfried almost took out KaibaCorp! I may not really like Kaiba much, but he makes my best friend pretty happy, so yeah… "I've been okay. You?" Might as well play along, right?

"Well, I haven't been dueling much, but when Kaiba sent me the invite, I couldn't say no. I wanted to see you all and apologize again for my brother's actions in the last tournament. They were uncalled for and deliberately harmful to you and your friends." _Now __that's__ an understatement!_ "Well, everyone has a dark side, right? I think we all have something in our pasts we're not proud of. I know I do, and I have a feeling your brother regrets his actions in the tournament, if only because he hurt you." Leon looks a little unsure, like he isn't sure what to make of me. I have that effect on people, especially nowadays. I guess I've really stepped up my poker face or something.

"Yeah. He's just really mad that Kaiba always seems to be one step ahead of him. They come up with nearly identical ideas, but Kaiba just makes it happen a little faster, I guess. I don't blame Kaiba for not inviting my big brother here. He even went so far as to say that Siegfried was banned from Domino City for the Tournament. That kind of hurt. I just wanted my brother to be able to watch me duel again. I haven't really dueled much since the Grand Prix a few years ago. It's just not the same anymore." Wow, he looks really down that his brother couldn't even show up in town. I guess I would feel the same if Kaiba said Reni couldn't show. I mean, any sibling would feel that way really. "Well, I'm not sure I blame Kaiba for that one, but it was a little harsh. Maybe I could talk to Yugi… You never know what he might be able to pull off. Yugi has more sway over Kaiba than even Mokuba does anymore." His face lit up. "Oh, thank you so much, Joey! I mean, I'll keep an eye on him and everything! I just want him to be able to see my duels."

At that, we parted, with me promising to call Yugi and see what I could pull off. Thankfully, he thinks I'm too good of a duelist to try taking on right now, not that I'm sure how to take that. I've never thought of myself as the best, although I know I'm not by any means a poor duelist. I just remember Leon being really good, and really confident. Maybe he's doing me a favor in return for mine. I guess I should call Yugi and see what he can do. I feel bad for the kid, to be honest. I mean, Siegfried might have been a jerk to me and everyone else, but he was pretty nice to his younger brother. Leon had his big brother wrapped around his little finger, in a way.

* * *

_Keith_

I swear I just saw Joey. Just as I was finishing up with Espa Roba, I thought I saw that blonde head take off. He probably thinks I'm going to challenge him if I see him out here, even though we both know we should wait until the finals. Oh well. I'm up to four of the eleven locator cards I need, and it's only 3:00! I've beaten three people in three hours. I wonder how Joey's doing. Probably about the same. Is that him over there dueling? Might as well check it out. Yep, I was right. He's dueling some kid, probably about 15, and winning. Not that the kid is making it easy on him. He's good, but Joey's one of the best duelists around. I think in reality, only Kaiba, Yugi, and Atem are better. He wins more often than not against everyone else. I know he hates losing to anyone else, since he knows he's pretty damn good. I should go looking for another opponent before Joey notices me and gets mad… Knowing him, he'll be mad that I saw him.

Man, I'm starting to worry about how people are going to take us… I guess Joey's fears have rubbed off on me. I'm not exactly a crowd favorite, and he's pretty well-loved by everyone. We are polar opposites when it comes to fans, and that's what concerns me. I have this strange feeling that I will be the one hated in the end. I mean, that's nothing new, but it's not going to be easy for me. I don't want Joey's reputation in the duelist world to suffer because of me. Wow, what am I thinking? Joey's loved by everyone, and maybe it will help my reputation, instead of hurting his. Who knows?

Alright, there's another duelist I can challenge! Let's get this on! I just need to keep going, and before you know it, I'll be in the finals for real this time! And without cheating this time… Joey wants me in the finals, but legitimately… I suppose it's only fair that I give him that.

_Time Skip – Next Day – Keith_

Okay, so I have 9 of the locator cards I need. I just need to beat a couple more duelists and I'm in the finals! Or only one if I can get them to wager two cards. Maybe I can find Malik. He's got to be close now, too. I don't see him being far from the finals at this point. It's like noon now on the second day. I had 7 locator cards before I called it a night and got some rest. I've already gotten the other two in the last three hours, although it's getting harder to find duelists now. I guess a lot of the more amateur duelists have been eliminated now by people like me, Joey, Kaiba, Yugi, and Leon. I wonder who the other couple finalists will be. Probably Malik and Ishizu for sure, but who will be the last? I mean, I can't really think of anyone else that would make an obvious candidate… Oh! There's Malik! This should be a good duel.

"Hey, Malik! You up for a duel? I only need a couple more cards, and I'm in. How about it?"

"Sure, why not. I'm up to 9 cards myself." Malik smirks. Serenity's standing there, smiling like she does. Damn, she's cute. I can see why Joey's always been so protective of her. I bet Malik has to worry about guys hitting on her all the time. "Go for it, Malik. I think you can win," Serenity says. "You've gotten really good lately, and you haven't lost a duel yet!" Oh, him too? Wow, Kaiba must have invited some rather pathetic competition if none of us have lost even once. I mean, really. No one seems to be giving us much of a fight.

"Alright. Since we both need two locator cards, why don't we wager that many? Whoever wins is in."

Malik nods, putting his deck in his duel disk. Let's get this over with! I changed my deck up a little again last night, going back to what it was like a year or so ago. This set up hasn't failed me much before, so why would it now?

_Attempt at a true duel sequence…_

We both draw, not a terrible starting hand for me. Sakuretsu Armor, 7 Completed, Adhesive Explosive, Machine King Prototype, and Heavy Mech Support Platform. I can work with it.

"You can go first, Keith. We'll keep it simple. As you said, whoever wins is in the finals. The loser is down to 7 locator cards. Don't underestimate me, I intend to win." Malik has an unnerving smirk, but I don't back down easily. My deck is pretty reliable, so I'm not too worried. I nod and proceed to draw.

"I draw." Metalmorph. That I can work with. "Alright, I'll start with one monster face-down and set one card. That ends my turn." Adhesive Explosive in defense and a Sakuretsu Armor trap. Decent defense to start with.

Malik's move. "I draw, and play the field spell Necrovalley. It prevents either of us from targeting cards in our graveyard, and gives my Gravekeeper monsters 500 attack and defense points. Then I play the monster Gravekeeper's Assailant. As long as Necrovalley is on the field, whenever it attacks, I can change the battle position of any one face-up monster on your field." Shit. Now not only are about half my usual back-up strategies useless, but he can force a monster that I don't want to into attack or defense to benefit himself. On top of that, his damned Assailant has 2000 attack and defense points now. Damn, his deck is going to be annoying and harder to beat. Oh well, I was just thinking I needed a challenge, and here it is. "I also set one card. That ends my turn." Wait, why didn't he attack? I would have for sure. He must be concerned for my face-down card. I mean, how could he know exactly what it is?

"Alright. I draw." Mask of Darkness… That's not very useful right now, but if I can get rid of Necrovalley, then I could use its flip effect again. I'll have to do something soon. That card is only going to get more annoying as time goes on. "I'm simply going to stay as I am for now. Your move, Malik."

"I draw. I then set play Gravekeeper's Recruiter in attack position. **(1200/1500 normally – 1700/2000 with Necrovalley)** Then I will attack your facedown monster with my Assailant."

I chuckle. "Well, your attack sets my monster's effect. My face down monster was Adhesive Explosive, which effectively negates the attack and attaches it to your Assailant to destroy it during your next Standby Phase."

"Okay then. I end my turn." Damn, I was hoping he would go all out on me and attempt to damage my life points. He just proved that he's a smarter duelist than the rest of them. He must want to wait so that he can use his other monster's effect to get a monster to summon immediately.

"Okay then. I draw." Machine King. Okay. "I start by playing Machine King Prototype in attack position. **(1600/1500) **I then play my 7 Completed on it and raise its attack points, giving my Machine King Prototype 2300 attack points." Should I go ahead and attack? He does have one face-down card… But the odds are for me that the card is based around his weird Gravekeeper strategy, and I could easily do some 600 points of damage to him. But it's definitely a risk… Whoever said I play it safe though? "I attack your Recruiter!"

Malik cringes. "Alright, I take 600 damage." That worked out better than it could have. I was hoping this was how it would work, but I didn't honestly know for sure. Malik is one opponent I'm not too sure on. "I still get to take one Gravekeeper from my deck with 1500 or less and add it to my hand." After he gets the card he wants and reshuffles, "Alright, Malik, your move."

"Okay. I draw, and Assailant is destroyed by Adhesive Explosive's effect." Nice. Now he has nothing decent on the field, not that most of his monsters could stand up to my Prototype now. "Then I play one monster in face-down defense. Your move."

_Ditching most dialogue pertaining to duel… Too time consuming to keep writing…_

I draw, a Graceful Charity. I play the Graceful Charity to draw another Adhesive Explosive, MechanicalChaser, and Mystical Space Typhoon, and discard Heavy Mech Support Platform and Metalmorph. I plan to use Mask of Darkness to get that back later. Malik gave me a strange look for that one, but that's okay. He doesn't know my plan. Alright, Mystical Space Typhoon down, MechanicalChaser (1850/800) in attack, boosting Prototype's attack to 2400. I go ahead and attack, MechanicalChaser attacking his face-down Gravekeeper's Spy. Dammit! That lets him Special Summon another Gravekeeper from his deck to the field. He summons Gravekeeper's Recruiter in defense, obviously… He's setting up for something, I can tell. Alright, I'll take it out too. He gets his monster from his deck, whatever it is. He draws, plays a monster in face-down defense, and smirks. Shit, he's got something big planned. Poker face, Keith. This could make or break my already shaky strategy.

Malik plays… Royal Tribute! Great, I have to discard my Mask of Darkness, Adhesive Explosive and Machine King! But, I'll use that as an excuse to get rid of his damned Necrovalley so I can use other cards again. Alright, and we're back to where we've been for a while now. He's got one face-down monster and another card. I've got 2 monsters in attack with the 7 Completed and my Sakuretsu Armor trap set. He's only got one card in hand, as do I – Premature Burial, which I can now use. He ends his turn at that.

I draw a Rare Metalmorph. That could come in handy. It can do a one-time negation of a spell targeting the monster it is equipped to. Alright, I can play Premature Burial for 800 LP to bring back Machine King. Now that I have 3 machine-types on the field, Prototype has 2500 ATK and Machine King has 2400. I've got a pretty good lead going now, assuming Malik doesn't have any weird tricks up his sleeve now. Malik uses my Premature Burial to activate a Trap card. What the hell is Rite of Spirit?! Now he gets to bring a Gravekeeper back from the Graveyard, and he picks… Gravekeeper's Visionary. It gets 200 ATK points for every Gravekeeper in the Graveyard!? That gives it 3000 ATK points! I gotta do something about that card, fast.

I simply maintain my position for now; don't want to upset the balance… And I have my trap. Malik draws, plays another face-down monster and sets a card. Then he makes the mistake of declaring an attack. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor! It destroys your Gravekeeper's Visionary!" That takes care of that problem, for now. I'm sure he has another.

Now for my turn. I draw a 7 Completed! Okay, this could be a good thing. I can attach it to Machine King, or Machine King Prototype, or even MechanicalChaser. Why not MechanicalChaser? He's the one who benefits most, giving him 2550 ATK. Now all 3 monsters have a high ATK. I can easily take out the remainder of his defense, and maybe even swing at him for a large amount of damage. I'll use MechanicalChaser and Machine King Prototype to take out his defense, and Machine King can swing at him freely. Well, shit. He had a Gravekeeper's Guard and Spy on the field. So he sent Machine King to my hand, and Special Summoned Assailant (1500/1500) in defense mode. Well, he bought himself another turn with that move.

He draws and plays another Necrovalley. That card will get annoying fast. Otherwise, he does nothing. I draw a Stop Defense, which of course I will play on his Assailant. Might as well do what damage I can. That attack leaves him with only 450 LP. I think this duel might be over. I go ahead and set my Rare Metalmorph.

He draws, and a smirk reappears. He sets a card and plays Field Barrier. Great, now I can't do anything about his Necrovalley… And he activates another Rite of Spirit?! Shit, he's gonna bring back that damned Gravekeeper's Visionary again, since apparently that trap isn't affected by Necrovalley, and this time, it's going to be even more powerful, since he now has 8 Gravekeepers in the Graveyard. That makes his attack 4100… And of course he attacks me, my Machine King Prototype, dealing me 1700 damage. Okay, this could be tough now. I gotta do something, and fast, or I'm out of this duel, and down 2 locator cards.

I draw a Heavy Storm, maybe… I can destroy all Spells and Traps on the field. I'll switch my MechanicalChaser to defense first… Next turn I can play Heavy Storm to get rid of his Field Barrier

He draws and just attacks my MechanicalChaser… At least it was in defense, so I don't take any damage.

Alright, let's see, I draw a Sakuretsu Armor, thank goodness. Damn this is getting interesting. At first I was just stomping him, but not fast enough, I guess. Now it's a LOT closer. I activate Heavy Storm to rid the field of Field Barrier… Even though it destroys my Rare Metalmorph too… Then I set Sakuretsu Armor and Curse of Fiend. Now if he attacks me, I can get rid of Visionary again.

He draws and of course attacks. Sakuretsu gets rid of my big problem… Then he plays a Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier? Damn, that thing can deal damage even through a defensive monster. I draw another Adhesive Explosive that will buy me a turn. I set it in defense. He draws and plays Solidarity, which gives all his monsters on the field another 800 ATK, since his Graveyard only has Effect-type monsters… Alright, make your mistake, err attack…

And you do, Malik! Got you with another Adhesive Explosive… Now to just pull off some major magic… Maybe Joey's luck has rubbed off on me, because this has been one nail-biter of a duel… And we've attracted quite the crowd now, but it is a duel between two of the better duelists here, so why am I surprised? Really, I don't need much, just a Heavy Mech Support Platform, and I can end this, so long as he doesn't have any more crazy cards up his sleeve…

Alright, I drew a Cannon Soldier! I'm definitely going to play him in Attack! Plus, if all else fails, I can just tribute him to deal 500 damage directly to Malik and win that way. Alright, Malik's turn, and Spear Soldier is gone… He drew, and set something… Probably a trap to keep me away from his LP. He's assuming I'm going to attack, since I don't have another monster to Tribute. I draw a Support Platform, and play it in attack, might as well, I'm just Tributing it to deal the 500 damage and end this… And it worked. I win… Man, I'm exhausted now…

"Nice duel, Malik. You really had me on the ropes there." We shake, he agrees, handing over the locator cards and one more card. I plan to give it back to him later, and I think he knows it. Alright, I'm in the finals now! I look over, and see Joey. He smiles that big smile of his and gives me a thumbs-up. He must be in too now. I nod his way, just wanting to go sleep for a bit. Serenity and Malik look concerned for me, no big deal though.

"Hey, Malik, good luck. I still want to see you in the finals! You deserve it." He nods and they walk away as the crowd starts to disperse. Joey walks up to me. "Nice duel. I wasn't sure who was going to win at the end there. I was starting to worry a bit for you. You're in now, right? I only need one more locator card and I'm good."

I nod at my ever-cheerful boyfriend. After everything he's been through, he can still find a reason to smile and be so upbeat. Wish I was more like that. "Also, Keith, thanks for being so nice to my sister's boyfriend. That means a lot to me, you know." With that, we head off to find Joey someone to duel for his last locator card. I really hope Malik makes it still, since he's such a good duelist really.

* * *

_Finals Location – Kaiba_

Of course, I've gotten in fairly. I already knew where the finals were, but I wasn't about to fake my way into my own tournament. I have more self-respect than that, and Yugi would probably try to kill me… He wouldn't want us to duel unless it was utterly fair that we were both there. Oh, there he is now, and with Joey and Keith? I guess all three ran into each other on their way here.

"I take it we're the first finalists?" Joey asks. I nod. "Of course, Wheeler. Would you expect any different? I mean, this is us we're talking about." That makes him smile/smirk… I'm not sure what to think about that. He seems happy that I acknowledged that he's not a complete amateur, which is true now. After the last few years, he's gotten to be a pretty good duelist, if maybe a little too lucky sometimes. I'm not sure I would consider him one of the top few duelists around, but he is definitely better than most. That is something I would not have said just a few years ago, and everyone around knows it. And now we simply wait for the last few duelists to show… I hope they hurry. I am not the most patient person in the world.

_Time Skip – Several hours later – Still Kaiba_

Alright, everyone is in their rooms, resting or getting ready for tomorrow's duels. Yugi and I are done preparing our duels and intend to spend some "alone time" as he calls it before bed. Whatever he wants, he knows I will do nearly anything for him, and it'll help him relax for tomorrow. He still rather hates being in the spotlight, even after spending much of the last several years there. I suppose I can understand in a way. It took me some time to adjust, but I have a personality that works for limelight, I suppose. Hmm. The other duelists ended up being Leon, whose brother I allowed back in town, why I don't know. Damn Yugi and those puppy dog eyes he uses on me. That and Wheeler… I know Wheeler's the one who asked Yugi to ask me. Then there was Malik, Mai, and lastly Rebecca. I'm definitely not surprised at the finalists, though I'm surprised at Devlin following Mai up here. He knows how I feel about him, but he did seem preoccupied with her. Maybe they're dating or he's at least trying to date her. Good. It will get him to leave my Yugi alone.

The finalists are definitely what I expected when I invited all of them to this tournament. Although it would have been interesting to have the Pharaoh dueling here as well, but I understand his reasons for not joining. He would have been just one more true challenge here. Although, it makes you wonder who wouldn't have made it if he was here. I guess I should get out of my own head and spend some actual time with Yugi… We can definitely hear the 'tough guys' arguing down the hall. Wonder what that's all about… "You okay, Seto? You seem completely lost in though. Worried about tomorrow? Or just wondering what Joey and Keith are arguing about now?" He laughs, knowing I'm not worried. "No. Just thinking about how things are going in this new tournament. I know this is pretty much what we expected, but I do have to wonder how a certain pair's announcement is going to go over. And whether or not they will really have the nerve to go through with their plan." I suppose Wheeler could simply be his usual unpredictable self and spill it accidently by something along the lines of kissing Keith… But I don't think that's how it'll happen. Joey's too worried about how his fangirls will react, but I suppose since they've decided to do it, it'll happen one way or another.

Yugi raises his eyebrow at me. "Okay then. Why don't we just forget the world for a little while? I need to get this off my mind before I do something stupid…" We both know what he means by that… I still sometimes shy away from letting him see my scars, even though I know he doesn't see them the way I do… Gozaburo was sadistic and didn't really care what my torso, arms, legs, etc. looked like, as long as my face was clear of obvious marks. Couldn't have anyone seeing proof of the physical abuse I was going through… I still don't really understand why he did it, nor do I care to. Yugi knows I'm not the same kind of person. I may not be the most trusting or patient, but I do care once I let someone in. I'm also extremely protective of the few people who have managed to gain my trust, mainly Yugi and Mokuba, although I can admit now that I somewhat trust the geek squad, just not with all my secrets. They don't know exactly why Yugi's scars don't bother me; just that I care about him, maybe love him (?) enough that I don't see them as imperfections so much as a part of who he is. I grab him, maybe a little too roughly, and start to kiss him. I want this as much as he does, even for similar reasons. When it's only Yugi and me, I can forget my past, the pain, fear, and anger, and just be myself. I can be the man I would be without my walls. Only Yugi has seen the real me. Only Yugi ever will, I just know that… He's the only one who could understand why I feel the need to hide the real me behind the jackass façade. Hands roaming, we hit the bed, Yugi landing softly on top of me as I pull him in for another heated, needy kiss.

**! LEMON !**

I pull at his shirt, I just want it off. I love the way his skin feels, soft and smooth. Jacket, trench coat, shirts all quickly discarded as we only pull away to bring shirts over our heads. Yugi moans beautifully as I start paying attention to his chest, those sweet little nipples as sensitive as they are. I switch us to where I'm on top, propping myself up on one elbow, while I work my magic across his skin. His gentle hands find their way to my shoulders, and run down my back, making me shudder a bit. He traces the scars along my collarbones, finding the little patterns they make. Suddenly, I can't stop. I work my way down, needing the blissful nothing that is my angel. Damn, he'd think I was nuts if I said that out loud. But the truth is, Yugi saved me from the anger that was engulfing my life, pushing me away from everyone and everything, even my younger brother. I finally get to his belt, undoing it and his pants. He gasps, not realizing I was going to move so fast, I guess.

"In a hurry, Seto? I was enjoying that…" He's out of breath, so I know he's telling the truth, as well as the undeniable bulge under my hand. He's a hell of a lot bigger than most would think, not that it matters. He loves being the uke, so to speak, even though he's far from totally submissive in bed. "I wasn't originally going to go this fast, my Yugi. I just can't help myself now." He smiles softly at the 'my Yugi' bit. I think there's a part of him that's glad someone actually wants to keep him around, and somewhat needs him at that… I move to remove his lower clothing, pulling his pants and underwear down enough to release his definite erection. Kissing his stomach, I slowly remove the offending clothing completely, earning another low moan. "Seto, oh, don't stop," he says softly. I'm definitely glad he's a quiet one… Otherwise, everyone here would know exactly what we're doing right now.

Wanting to hear more of his voice, I start by just licking the tip of him. I love to tease him like this, seeing as he responds so well. More moans come from him as I start to suck on him, if only the tip to tease him more. Then he does exactly what I wanted, "Seto, please… More… oh…" The mumbled pleas are just what I need. I'm losing the battle against my mind, just like I wanted to. I give in, engulfing him completely, which isn't easy considering his size… Just when I feel him about to come, I stop. He pouts for a moment, until he notices the look in my eyes. His eyes darken noticeably with want for me. His hands reach for the remainder of my clothing, quickly undoing my pants and getting them off of me. We simply toss everything haphazardly to the side, not really caring where things fell. We're too preoccupied with each other. I grab our lube and start preparing him. I mean, I'm not small either, so I can't be too rough with him, or he won't be able to stand tomorrow, let alone duel… After a while, his moans tell me he's about to force it, since I keep hearing little pleas mixed in, like "Seto, please, just… fuck me already!" He's actually getting a bit loud tonight… I drop a little lube on myself, hissing slightly at the coldness, and line up with him.

"Seto?" He notices my hesitation. There's a part of me that always stops here… Sometimes I have a hard time going the rest of the way, but once I do, it's like the problem was never there… "I'm okay. Just…" I take a deep breath. Why is this so damned hard tonight? It must be because we're on the blimp again… Not the best memories on this thing… Letting out that breath, I push into him, and my mind blanks out…

**Lemon End**

_Time skip – Kaiba_

Exhausted, but in a good way, we get up to clean up some. After a quick shower together, we curl up to sleep, not even bothering to get redressed. Tonight I might actually get some decent sleep… Yawning, I hear Yugi mumble, "Love you, Seto."

"Love you too, my angel."

* * *

_The next day – After the Semi-finals – Yugi_

I'm not sure if I dreamed that last night or not. I was nearly asleep when I said it, so it could have been my sleepy mind, but I swear Seto told me he loved me last night! And did he call me his angel? Strange, but I like it, if that was really him… He's really gone a bit soft on me, as Ryou would put it. Well, the Semi-finals are over, and it was interesting. Seto used his randomization Blue Eyes thing again. Got to admit, it is the best way to make it fair. So the breakdown was this:

First duel – Rebecca vs. Joey – Joey won, but even I wasn't sure for a while, and I know both decks pretty well. Okay, I know their general strategies well. Joey's luck just held out in the end.

Second duel – Keith vs. Malik – Round 2 from what I heard, although this time it was Malik who won. Keith was bummed, but it was a hell of a duel.

Third – Me vs. Leon – I felt a little bad when I beat Leon… Siegfried had been allowed to show for Leon's duels, and then only gets to see him lose at the semi-finals… Leon wasn't upset though. I think he was just glad his brother got to watch him at all, and it was a really good duel. He's an amazing duelist in his own right.

Finally – Seto vs. Mai – Do I need to say it? I mean, really. This duel had Seto in it.

Later today will be the next round – me vs. Joey, and Malik vs. Seto. I mean, the outcome is pretty well set… No one can really stand up to Seto and me, but we still gotta give them the chance. Oh well, I almost feel bad that I have to beat Joey again… I just wonder how close my duel with Seto will be… We've always been near equals, even though he doesn't believe it. And with the fate of the world not hanging in the balance, I don't have as much of a reason to be the victor… I mean, I don't want to give up my title, but if I lose, I'd rather it be to either my lover or my best friend. I couldn't imagine another duelist that I would consider… worthy of the title to be honest… Wow, I'm getting a little egotistical, I guess… Seto might like that a little too much.

_Later – After the remaining duels – Yugi_

Well, I beat Joey kinda quickly, and Seto had little issue with Malik. Big surprise there… The surprising part was just how much trouble I had beating Seto. I guess my mind was on last night still and trying to figure out whether that was real or a dream… It's been bothering me all day. I'll ask him later, I guess. I just want dinner to be over so we can sleep… I'm exhausted from all the dueling today, and I think everyone else is too. Joey isn't eating as much as usual, Keith is just kinda staring at his plate picking at it, even Tea and Serenity seem worn out. But then again, even they have to worry about us and wonder what's next. Can the one they're rooting for win, or will they lose? Will they draw the right card, or will their deck let them down? Tristan and Ishizu are off to one side, in some sort of serious conversation. Ishizu declined participation, but came to support her younger brother, kinda like Serenity. Well, Serenity was here for two people, the two she really loves – Joey and Malik. I'm glad they're all happy now.

Thank the gods, we can go to bed now… I look at Seto. Did he eat anything? I'm not sure, and that's been happening a lot lately. I'm getting a little worried, considering he's been pulling away a bit too. Is he relapsing? Gods, I hope not. I don't know how to handle that… The stress of this tournament, my problems, everything he's been through… I know it gets to him after a while, but he never really tells me what's going on in his head…

"Tired, Yugi? You look ready to just pass out… But then again, we did duel quite a bit today." Seto can read me like a book. I nod, thinking I can bother him later, when we're alone.

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you some before we go to sleep. I've been wondering a couple things all day." No one else would see it, but there's a flash of worry in his eyes, gone as soon as it came. I wonder what he's hiding…

We head off to our respective rooms. Joey and Keith are leaning on each other, both tired enough to have a little trouble walking straight… Good thing everyone here already knew about them. Except Leon and Siegfried! Oh well, what're they gonna do? Joey's the real reason that Siegfried was allowed to watch Leon in the first place.

* * *

**Millennium: I know I was going to put in Joey and Keith's announcement, but this chapter ended up being crazy long – just over 7000 words without A/N. 11 pages total, which I think is a record for me.**

**Love: Yeah, and the Lemon scene? What was with that cut-off?**

**Millennium: Well, since it's told from Seto's POV, I imagine that sex would cause the coherent part of his brain to shut off, so the ending is left entirely to your imagination. Let's just say that Yugi was still quiet enough that no one knew/realized what was going on behind closed doors. And yeah, I'm making Seto have his own issues… I've always imagined he would be the type to be anorexic/bulimic… He's neurotic and OCD/has control issues… Food intake would be something in his life that he could always control.**

**Sneak peek –**

"_Have you ate anything today, Seto? It looked like you didn't eat much, if anything for dinner, and I don't remember you eating lunch."_

_*Screaming/crying fangirls* "Yikes! Keith! Let's get outta here!" "I'm with you, Joey!"_

_Do I deserve his love? I'm not so sure anymore… He really is like an angel to me, but is he meant to be mine? I'm worthless in all reality… Even though I run a multi-billion dollar multi-national company… It would run whether I was here or not, so why does it matter? Does Mokuba even need me anymore? He's become such an independent soul lately, and spends a lot of his time with Ryou… Would any of them __really__ miss me if I was gone? Maybe I should just tell him all of this. Yugi would probably understand…_


End file.
